Did Jang Won-young of ‘Pisik University’ also touch it? Thumbnail controversy

The thumbnail of the web entertainment show 'Pisik University' in which Group Ive member Jang Won-young appeared is controversial. Among the numerous guests, only the thumbnail of Jang Won-young's appearance is being criticized for subtly covering the letters 'PSICK' and reminding people of sexual words such as 'FXCK'.

On the 5th, a video titled "Ive is pretty for Jang Won-young" was posted on the YouTube channel 'Psick Univ' (hereinafter referred to as 'Psick Univ'). Jang Won-young, who appeared as a guest on this day, showed off her English skills and spoke fluently, earning favorable reviews from fans. However, 'Pisik University' became embroiled in controversy when it made disparaging remarks about a specific region in the content titled "Go to Yeongyang, the smallest city in Gyeongsang Province" on the 11th. Even his past actions are being reexamined negatively.

When the thumbnail highlighting Jang Won-young's face was released, fans responded positively, saying, "You can see her pretty face in a larger size." However, when the controversy over regional disparagement erupted, the situation changed. Negative public opinion arose that the intention was to obscure some of the initials behind Jang Won-young, rather than to show Jang Won-young's face bigger, to evoke the word 'FXCK'. Not only domestic fans but also global viewers strongly criticized the video, saying, "The thumbnail is disgusting" and "It's uncomfortable to watch."

Netizens tend to believe that the intentions of 'Pisik University' are impure, saying, "I didn't pay attention to seeing their faces, but now that this controversy has erupted, I can see them again." Some say that if you wanted to show the face bigger, it could have been placed on the left. It was pointed out that it was inappropriate to only cover ‘P’, ‘S’, and ‘I’.

Even if it was not the intention, some continued to say that if there were comments pointing out the inconvenience, it would be enough to make corrections. However, as of 2 PM on the 17th, Jang Won-young's thumbnail of 'Pisik University' has not been modified.

On the afternoon of the 17th, Starship Entertainment, to which Jang Won-young belongs, drew a line with Ten Asia, saying, "We are not aware of the controversy. We have no position to disclose regarding this." Meta Comedy, which is in charge of 'Pisik University', responded, "We were not aware of the controversy and plan to take action after confirmation."

As the controversy over regional disparagement arose, some people thought that this was the right time to forcibly denigrate the 'Pisik University'. However, harsh criticism is being raised that this new controversy is also a result of the self-inflicted profits of 'food universities'.

Ten Asia Reporter Lee So-jeong forusojung@tenasia.co.kr